Apple’s reliance on fashion will be their downfall.

 

With the success of the iPod, Apple soured into the public eye. Apple quickly became the creator of some of the most fashionable gadgets on the market and they were quick to grab this status by the horns. Rapid product updates, simplistic design and surprisingly arrogant advertising boosted Apple’s image to new heights. Such fashion invites a certain audience, namely a younger, fashion conscious audience as proven by the wide spread adoption of the iPod by younger people. That isn’t to say that iPods do not sell well to the older generations, but the sub-30 age group certainly take to such products more rapidly.

The iPod had an obvious market; users who wanted a good looking, easy to use music player and the iPod gave them that in style. Then we have the Mac desktops and its partner OS. These, again, appealed to those wanting something easy to use that “just worked”. They also gained a lot of interest from graphic designs and other design orientated industries. Similarly, the Macbook was squarely aimed at the college student wanting something relatively small and with a lower price tag where as the Macbook Pro was, as the name implies, a more professional unit for power users. So in terms of the big hitting Apple products, they all hit a set market and seem relatively seated in their position. So what about Apple’s two newest products, where exactly do they sit?

Firstly, the iPhone. The iPhone, in my opinion, was rushed out of the door due to the delays Apple had already had to apply to Leopard. Considering their continual mockery of Microsoft for not being able to push big updates out on a regular basis, they needed to get Leopard released. The iPhone lacked many basic features where it was first released. One such feature that has only just been addressed is that of sending SMS to multiple recipients. One of the most basic features of a modern mobile phone missing from Apple’s wonder device. That is without even mentioning the lack of video recording from the camera and other extremely unexpected absences from the device. The big absence from the iPhone for me was its lack of appeal to the business audience. With such a high price tag both upfront and monthly, the iPhone wasn’t attempting to appeal to a budget market. The business market tends to be a big influence when it comes to the higher priced devices (such as smart phones), yet Apple’s device still seemed aimed at the average user due to its lack of office-type applications. So where does this leave iPhone? The people buying these phones are those who wish to buy into Apple’s image. The iPhone is a status symbol, a sign of wealth and fashion. No other company could release such a feature lacking device and yet still sell millions. If Apple were to lose their fashionable image, would iPhone still sell? In my opinion, not a chance. Well, not at the current price it wouldn’t.

In almost exactly the same vein is the Macbook Air. What sort of users need an ultra-portable with a relatively small screen? You can take designers off the list, a 13.3” screen isn’t going to cut it when wanting to do real design work. Business users are, again, a potential market but with the widespread adoption of Windows systems, what incentives is there to buy a Mac and have to deal with the incompatibilities? A student may wish to use such a device, it’s portable, wireless nature would make it great for working in different places. The problem is how many students can afford a laptop that costs £1200+? The simply answer is very few. So yet again, we end up with the Apple fans who want that status, especially the sort of status a £1200 Apple laptop brings. This is forgetting the lack of inputs, optical drives and other simple yet missing features. Just who, minus Apple’s fans, would buy such an expensive device when there are other viable alternatives for far less?

If Apple’s newest products continue to rely so heavily on their image they could be in for a massive shock further down the line. No one stays fashionable forever, before Apple and their iPod hit the big time, the Walkman was the fashionable product – things can and do change. If Apple’s future product line continues to be so unappealing to anyone outside of their fan base, they are sure to fall flat on their faces when they are eventually kicked from their podium.

Desperate Housewives Season 4 Episode 10 airing this Sunday

ABC have given in and are airing the second part of the epic tornado episode. Will Lynette’s family all be as dead as Mary Alice? Where will Mrs McCluskey live? What will happen to Carlos and Gabby? Oh I shake at the thought.

For you Americans, it’s on Sunday. For everyone else, get your downloading finger ready very early Monday morning.

Edd loves homewares

So I decided to make a blog about them. See how I get on here.

And I promise, deeply, to update this blog more often. I keep meaning to but I’m a bad, bad person. (What’s worse is that I have so little to do I have no excuse not to make 10 posts every day.)

I got frogs!

Anybody for regular posts? Could be a bit of a novelty but I’ll do my best. For those intrigued by the excitement that is my life, I’m currently at Uni now, studying Geography up in glorious Manchester. It’s like Birmingham, only more alternative.

On to the title, frogs! I’ve loved exotic animals for ages and I’ve kept a few exotic insects in my time. I’ve had a giant millipede, a praying mantis and some giant African land snails. At the time, I was pretty young so caring for them was a bit lax, largely because I couldn’t afford anything slightly premium in relation to their care. But all that is changed, I have student loan now! So I went to a local pet shop in Manchester (Swan Street Pet Shop) who were so much help. In the end, I bought myself two White’s Tree Frogs along with a mammoth vivarium and some nice decor to make the tank look all pretty and suave. It did cost quite a lot, but I’ve done a few extra hours at work to cover it so it’s ay-okay. Ish.

So they’re currently in the corner of my room, slouching about. They’re ridiculously cute, I can’t help but smile when watching them fumble around the vivarium. I fed them for the first time last night and they went mad for the crickets. I put ten in and they’re all gone so that’s good because sometimes they don’t eat when they get to a new home so I assume they must quite like it here. I’m still as worried as a mother about the heat which just won’t get up to that magical 30 degrees mark in spite of having the heat mat on. I’ve whacked the radiator in my room on so hopefully it’ll all warm up and become a bit tropical. I’m sure they’ll be fine.

My only niggle is that they eat live crickets. I have no issue with live food, it’s just that crickets are a pain in the arse. They’re now in the bottom of my wardrobe where they’ll most likely stay until I’m ready for them!

European Playstation Store Update: Folklore Demo

The European Playstation Store has finally been given a half note-worthy update! Boot up your PS3 now to download the Folklore demo (only available until August 31st for some reason) as well as trailers and videos from Leipzig so far.

Sony have also announced a TV recorder add on that is due out early next year for us Europeans. Should be hearing more from Sony towards the end of the week; as much as the DVR thing is nice, I want more game related updates  -namely when we’re going to see Killzone 2.

It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for: A-level results day.

This month, so far, has been really quite exciting for me. I bought myself a swanky new monitor and Playstation 3, so that was nice, but, of course, results day was the big factor. Will I? Won’t I? Will I just curl up into a ball and vanish if I don’t make the grade? There was only one way to find out. This was the day I’ve been waiting for for almost 2 months now. The day that would decide what I’d be doing for the next 3 years; so really quite important really.  I stopped over at my friend’s house as we’d gone out to Snobs in Birmingham on Wednesday night because I’d figured I’d sleep better if I was a little drunk. That plan worked, so that’s a tip to remember next time you’re shitting bricks about something (driving test anyone?).

We arrived at college just before 10 and went in to get the fabled white envelope. Annoyingly, my results had been held back because I hadn’t returned some tatty 1000 year old book I’d borrowed from the library. After promising to bring it in later, they lowered the guns, unlocked the chains and released my results into my shaking, sweaty hands. I promptly ripped it open and a slip of paper fell out that basically said that I should feel free to speak to a member of staff if my results weren’t as I hoped. My stomach did somewhat drop at this because, with prior knowledge of the AS results last year, they only put those in for people who don’t make the grade. So, more nervous than ever, I got my results out and tried to make out my grades from the mess that is the result slip (Seriously, who designs these things? Especially Edexel, it’s a disgrace!) I read through and felt a surge of relief. I’d got ABB and a B in General Studies. Now, my offer was AAB so I needed to get on UCAS to check. After throwing a slightly dirty look and my Geography teacher (he was a muppet) I got into the computer room and got myself on UCAS. Typically, my login didn’t work so I had to get the IT technician to get me online. I don’t think he appreciated how forceful I was being with him, but I went on the basis that I’d most likely never see him again so it was okay. So, I typed in my application number… my username… my password… clicked login.

I let out a little scream which invited some really quite annoyed looks from some (perhaps they’d been rejected?) but I didn’t care. Smiling like a Cheshire cat, I rung my parents to tell them I’d been accepted into Manchester University. As they answered, I burst into tears. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relieved in my entire life. The feeling of knowing the past two years of work were worth every single minute was euphoric. I then went on to phone the endless list of names I’d agglomerated over the past month, promising to tell them how I’d got on. I had to cut them off quite quickly though because I couldn’t speak through my tears and somewhat worryingly staggered breathing. Once my friends calmed me down (alas, out of a group of some 8 girlfriends, I was the only one in tears) I headed home. And that was that really, I’d done it.

That was my aim for the past two years and it was done. Even as I write now, it feels so strange. In just a matter of weeks my whole life is going to change completely. I’ll be moving out, leaving my parents, having to deal with a long distance relationship, cook for myself (dear God, I’ll just be living on pasta for the next three years at this rate. And perhaps the odd batch of noodles), and, of course, budgeting. But while I do feel quite scared at the prospect, it’s also incredibly invigorating. It’s going to be amazing, and I can’t wait for it all to start.

To everyone who got A-level results today, I hope they were what you needed to get you where you wanted to go (and commiserations to those who are awaiting decisions from Oxford and Cambridge, that must be fun.) If you didn’t get into where you wanted, I hope you’ve found a solution that works for you.

Here’s to the next step.

New Facebook features on the way?

Facebook is down at the moment, displaying the message “We’re upgrading”. I wonder whether this is just a server upgrade or there are some new features due? I’m hoping for some more options to do with disabling certain applications but we’ll soon see.

Update: Facebook is back up now with no noticeable updates from what I can see. Someone in the comments says that there are rumours floating about that Facebook got hacked, so it’ll be interesting to see if Facebook say anything more about all the down time.

Update 2: According to Mashable, the down time was due to a bug that was allowing users to log into other people’s accounts and see, basically, pages they shouldn’t of been able to. However, they have denied all claims of being hacked saying that the down time was solely due to the aforementioned bug.

How big does a sign need to be to be noticed?

Currently, the sale at work has gone into the joy that is buy one, get one free. Basically, if you buy one sale item, you can get another of the same or lesser value absolutely free. We’re so nice (you can buy one piece of crap, and get another for free!)

The sale section is situated towards the front of the store, and above it hangs at least ten signs that say “All sale Buy One Get One Free”. They must hang about a centimetre away from people’s heads and are easily a metre square in size. To put it bluntly, they’re so painstakingly obvious that to not see them would make you a moron, surely?

Since buy one get on free began a couple weeks ago, I have completely lost count of the people who I’ve had to remind that they could get something free. “Oh really?” is the usual response, and you just want to slap them, grab their heads, and force them to bend their necks because apparently they walk around fixated on their shoes. I’m sure they can see in my face, the complete disbelief that they were unaware of the offer, it’s so far from subtle that it’s beyond funny. I’ve not given up telling people that it is buy one get one free before I do actually insult someone and ask how they managed to miss the signs.

The joys of working with the public. I don’t think I’ll ever understand the insanities of some people, they’re just too obscure.

“It is blue”

Retail really does bring out the most interesting people in society. I say interesting, socially inept is probably more the phrasing, but there you go.  For a while now, we’ve had this Asian guy coming into the store quite regularly. He always came across as a bit gay to me and always gives me a wave when he comes in and leaves (which is horribly disconcerting to say the least.)

However, the other week, he came in and told me that he had left his card in the chip and pin reader. If you’re unsure about the chip and pin system, it’s basically how we accept credit card payments; the customer inserts their card into a little reader and inputs their pin number before removing their card. All too often, people forget to take their cards. I do my best to remind them as I hand over the receipt but I’m only one man!

So, he came up to my till and the conversation went a little like this (For the purpose of this, the Asian man will be known as Mr. Blue):

Mr. Blue: “Errrr okay I don’t speak very good English. I have err lost my card.”

Me: [I ask him for details from the card, when he lost it etc.]

Mr. Blue: “It was err last week, it is blue!”

Me: Okay, I’ll just ring up to the admin office to find out if we have it.

So, I phone up the office and give over his details who reply that they did have it, but it has been sent back to the bank because he took so long dragging his ass back to the store to pick the thing up (What did he do without his debit card all week?)  So it came down to me to explain to the guy what had happened to his card. Why is it me that always ends up with these jobs?

Me: “We’ve had to send your card back to the bank because you didn’t come and pick it up within a week. You’ll need to go to your bank, tell them what happened, and request a new card is sent out to you, alright?”

Mr. Blue: (Looking completely bewildered) “Errr I um don’t speak err very good English. Can you err say that again more slowly?”

Me: “Your card, is gone. We sent it back to the bank. You need, to go, and get a NEW card.”

Mr. Blue: “You have my card?”

Me: “No, we had to send it back to your bank, you have to get a new one”

Mr. Blue: (Looking even more confused) “It is blue!”

Well to be quite honest, I almost laughed in his face. “It is blue”. Oh how I had to control myself. I actually had to tell him that it was “Destroyed” and do scissor cutting actions with my fingers on an imaginary credit card. I’m not too sure whether he caught on to what had actually happened but he went in the end.

Oh how I laughed. “it is blue”; what a fantastic response to being told that your card has gone.

Digg, without Ubuntu

Simply put, as much as I love Ubuntu, I’m sick of the endless stories about it on Digg. Due to this, I got onto Yahoo Pipes and made a feed that will remove all posts related to Ubuntu to give me some sanity. If you want to add it too, you can view it here.